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2008 People's Choice
Solar Princess Receives Double Crown
Nicole Kuepper, a 23 year old solar cell scientist, has been voted Australia's favourite scientist in the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes People's Choice Award.
Often likened to the "Oscar's of Australian Science", the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes reward outstanding achievements in Australian scientific research, leadership and innovation, communication and journalism and school science.
While all other Australian Museum Eureka Prize winners are chosen by specially selected judging panels, the Eureka Prizes People's Choice Award lets the Australian people choose who should win a "science Oscar". Almost 16,000 people from across Australia cast their vote and chose Nicole as the winner.
For Kuepper, a PhD student and lecturer at the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at the University of New South Wales, the Eureka Prizes People's Choice Award was her second Eureka prize. She also won the British Council Eureka Prize for Young Leaders in Environmental Issues and Climate Change.
Nicole was awarded both Prizes for her work in developing and patenting a revolutionary solar cell that can be manufactured at low temperatures using everyday items like a pizza oven, nail polish and an inkjet printer. Nicole hopes that her technology will mean cheap, clean and green energy for developing countries, providing electricity to 2 billion of the world's poorest people.
Nicole's work in developing sources of renewable energy captured the imagination of the Australian people. "Your research is simply stunning, and I wish you the very best. The world is in desperate need of such an innovation," wrote Bryan, a voter from the NSW's South Coast. Freya, from the Queensland Sunshine Coast, wrote "We think any development in solar PV technology is brilliant, and especially if it's done in here in Oz!. Well done."
The Eureka Prizes People's Choice Award has proved a great hit with school students, with 65% of all votes coming from classrooms. From Narrogin to Dunedoo, Bungaree to Cooktown, school kids across the country researched, debated and voted for their favourite scientist.
"The Eureka Prizes People's Choice Award gives students real-life role models in science," said Frank Howarth, Director of the Australian Museum. "I'm sure any parents would be delighted for their child to aspire to the heights that Nicole has reached at such a young age."
Nicole was one of six finalists in the Eureka Prizes People's Choice Award who were selected from the hundreds of entries in the Eureka Prizes for scientific research.
The Eureka Prizes People's Choice Award is supported by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, ABC, Abbey's Bookshop and Microsoft.
